


A legend reformed

by Ass_trophysics



Category: Nexomon, Nexomon: Extinction (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional Family, Enemies to Friends, Family Secrets, Female Protagonist, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, I Don't Even Know, I think?, Metta exists to spite god, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Game(s), Scars of the Past, Some Fluff, Some Humor, Some light violence, but not really, insecurities burried underneath the sass, it is the law, shit gets serious real quick, so does the protag, the dubious choice of putting a teenager in the high test from of political power, the protag is a raging arsonist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29427171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ass_trophysics/pseuds/Ass_trophysics
Summary: With the fall of the tyrannical king, omnicron, a new era of prosperity could begin.All thanks to a young  heroine, an eccentric cast of characters, some dear friends, some other strange allies. A classic end to an unprecedented adventure, all was well...Or so we thought...You see, appointing a literal teenager as your highest form a political power can prove quite stressful on one's psyche.Just because the main monster is out of the picture doesn't mean that others won't take its place. One can only do so much to achieve some peace of mind.Especially when a certain white haired villain decides to finally come out of hiding-------I am bad at descriptions, I swear the story is actually decent
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue p1: Whiplash

It was over...

By god it was finally over...

Pandora stood still as a statue , observing the black smoke and ash in the middle and around the massive crater where Evan's prestigious gym used to be. She could feel the adrenaline rush slowly but surely dying down, her heart beat adopting a more calm and steady rhythm. The scratches and wounds that painted her maimed skin were finally starting to sting, her nerve-endings protesting underneath her flesh.

But it didn't matter, the pain will pass. It didn't matter because it was over. 

It's been about half an hour or so since her, her friends and her nexomon had defeated Omnicron. The tyrannical Goliath had put on quite the fight but ,alas, the canine-like monstrosity was defeated , only evidence of his fearsome existence was the now dirty and broken golden piece that used to incircle the beast's massive neck. With their combined efforts they all made it out in one piece, the maniacal king no match against their determination and unparalleled teamwork 

That and also a handsome amount of full-revivals.

Like... lots of them.

Man she gotta fund the hell out of the companies who make these marvels of technology. 

Especially now that she was the nexolord.

Nexolady? 

To be honest, the full weight of the situation, of the very position she was promptly placed in at the young age of fifteen hadn't settled in yet. The many hardships that such a grant political figure would have to endure and sort through were currently beyond her gullible understanding. 

But that was a problem for her future self to despair at. Right now, she could live in blissful ignorance, indulging herself in mindless fun with her friends.

Speaking of friends

Pandora glanced at the green-haired girl that stiffly stood three meters to her right side, a solemn look plastered on her sun-kissed face. Her light-green spheres scanned over the destruction and darkness that the cracked piece of earth in front of them emitted. 

Deena. 

One of the most trusted companions that she managed to make throughout this long and perilous journey

The daughter of the very blood-thirsty nuisance whose burned remains were being swept by the untamed breeze at the moment. Pandora couldn't imagine what must be going through the disguised explorer's head. Deena's face was expressionless for the most part but a small and melancholic smile could be distinguished in between her relaxed facial features. The way she currently carried herself displayed an oxymoronic mix of discontent and mild mirth.

The newly-appointed nexolady didn't really have the best experience with her own guardians, her parents being scientists and all that and. Therefor , she wasn't sure how to fully sympathize with her friend's current situation.

But this wasn't about her, it was about the unlikely ally that stood beside her. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she knew close to nothing about the mythical creature, the enigma that was Deena as a whole. The flowery cervinae never disclosed any details about her upbringing despite how bubbly and talkative she was. Her past was currently shrouded in mystery and whether that was because of fear or because she so desperately wanted to suppress the memories of a family that outright disowned her, pandora didn't know. She wasn't planning to ask either

Not yet anyway...

Perhaps it would be best if she tried to comfort her first

" Hey, Deena"

"Hmm? Oh, what's up?"

Pandora was a bit taken aback by the girl's unusually cheerful tone but before she could comment on it, Deena rambled on

" By the way, I have to say, you guys did amazing against my father! Tamers are so cool, you know! I'd love to be one someday!" She said rather enthusiastically 

Silence fell upon them again for a minute or two before Pandora recollected her scrabbled thoughts and remembered what she was going to originally say

"Are... are you okay? Considering what transpired not to long ago, I expected you to be more... down in the dumps?" She asked awkwardly, momentarily cringing at her choice of wording

"Why would I?" The explorer inquired back, slightly bobbing her head in confusion. Her less joyous tone of voice didn't go unnoticed by the tamer. It was evident that she was faking her obliviousness 

"Because.... well... pretty sure I don't have to spell it out for you, do I now?" 

Deena broke their eye contact to glance back at the crater before answering again

" Nah, no need to worry about me! I'm fine, promise! It's... it's not like this is the first time this has happened, remember? Ulzar had also defeated dad about a millennia ago"

"Yeah, his body, not his soul! Omnicron is now permanently erased of the face of the earth AND the cha-"

"Point is" Deena cut her off before she could finish " that your home is now spared of my familie's wrath, humanity can prosper. Even if that means that my father and siblings have to be out of the picture."

That was her final word in the matter, nothing else needed to be said. It wasn't a satisfactory conclusion by any means but Deena wouldn't budge. 

"How about you go check up on the others? Atlas and Ellie shouldn't be too far away. Think I saw Miriam with them too...Maybe she can help you utilize the handful of nexonium you found scattered all over the netherworld!"

Oh right, she had forgotten about the nexonium. The precious crystal was pretty rare around here but ,surprisingly enough, it could be found in abundance around the supposed realm of afterlife nightmares. One of its primary uses was the fact that, when infused with a nexo-core,it could nullify a nexomon's power for a considerable amount of time, acting as some sort of tranquilizer 

One that could even affect the fallen champions 

Including Deena 

"Good idea. Thanks for reminding me." Pandora started making her way back to the town square but, before she could walk too far off, she stopped when she noticed that her friend wasn't following 

"Are you not coming along? The others are probably going to be pretty worried?" 

"Maybe later. I... I would like to be alone for a while." 

Pandora raised a concerned brow but otherwise remained quite, opting to continue down the pebbled path down the tiny town. The streets were littered with crumbled pieces of walls from houses that unfortunately didn't survive the onslaught. Parum's usually sunny sky was covered by a thick layer of nasty, pitch black clouds that encased the place in a depressing atmosphere. The surrounding plant life and trees had developed an ugly shade of yellow making them appear sick and decaying.

It was a wasteland. Her birthplace had become an absolute wasteland.

But she vehemently believed that they could be able to restore it to its former glory. Remus' and the other overseers promised that they could offer their assistance and provide numerous assets to rebuild Parum. 

That, of course will take a couple of years but, as they say, patience is a virtue. 

"Yeah, tell that to all the, now, homeless people, dumbass" Pandora thought bitterly to herself. Maybe she could make some arrangements and offer temporary housing to people in need.

Could she even do that? What and how much power did her title give her anyway. She didn't get to experiment with it yet. 

That wasn't a problem anymore. Until her incumbency was due to end, be it old age, death in general or some challenger proved themselves more worthy than her then she had the privilege to test the limits.

Her train of thought came to end when she finally reached the town-square. She could distinguish some familiar faces out of the crowd of people, one of them being her childhood best friend, Ellie, along with her quirky robot creation, Atlas. The young inventor sat quietly on her wheelchair, a perplexed expression decorating her face. It wasn't unusual for the girl to be lost in her thoughts, her brilliant mind running a hundred miles per minute, but this was different. She looked strangely worried 

"Guys , I'm back! You made it back safe from the chaos right?"

"Hey there! Yep, I have all my limbs so I'd say we had a successful retreat" Ellie greeted her in return, perking up immediately and smiling mischievously "time for a break, don't you think?" 

"Tell me about it! I fell like this whole ordeal has aged me for about 10 years. I'm ready to collapse on my bed and sleep for a week!" Pandora arched her back for emphasis and a noticeable pop could be heard as her stressed joints finally slackened. Her bones hurt, her head hurt, everything hurt.

"At least this whole mess is over, we can finally live in peace. You gave us quite a scare when ,instead of your stupid face, omnicron emerged from the machine" 

Both of them chuckled, their playful banter coming to a stop. A comfortable silence filled the air, they only sounds being the occasional crunch of a leaf or the hushed conversation of the people. Out of the corner of her eye, however, the nexolady noticed that the mechanical prodigy was fidgeting anxiously, her gaze distant. Looks like her previous restlessness resurfaced.

"Something troubling ya?" 

"I just wonder..." Ellie replied silently "Is it true that nexomon will eventually disappear? Can it be stopped?" 

Ah yes, with his dying breath, the king of monsters declared that, with his ultimate demise, his brethren will one day become extinct as they were directly connected to his very being. How or why, she didn't know.

She also wasn't sure if that statement was actually truthful. The reality and consequences that it supposedly described seemed way too far-fetched. There was a natural order to everything, there's no way that nexomon would be out of this metaphorical equation.

"Just a bunch of balderdash probably, empty threats. Omnicron also said that nexomon are all inherently evil and the darkness within them would come to light once he was resurrected yet none of that shebang happened." Pandora turned around with a deriding grin "if you ask me then I'd say that the old dog had a loose screw or two if you catch my drift"

"You are. So. Bad" Ellie said in a mocking shocked voice, the two girls breaking into joyous laughter a second after. Goofing around was their default setting when they didn't have deal with the literal apocalypse.

"So uh, kinda unrelated, but have you seen Miriam around here? I have something to arrange with her." Pandora asked. She still had to somehow put the giant amount of nexonium to use. Her backpack ,in which she had shoved them down in ,was seriously starting to strain her sore shoulders. 

Ellie looked confused for a moment before shooting Pandora an "are you serious?" look. 

"Hmm, I don't know dude, five meters to your left maybe?" 

True to her word, the terrestrial woman was no more than a few feet away from them. Miriam greeted Pandora with a small ,polite wave of her hand, a warm smile decorating her elegant features. Her twilight robes made her stick out of the scenery like a sore thumb.

"Oh"

"I'm the one with the glasses yet you are the one with the vision problems dumb-dumb" 

"Shut up you" the young nexolady uttered and then made her way over at the older woman, with slightly less dignity. There is no way the Ellie is gonna let her lives this one down.

" Aww, cheer up now, young heroine. This is not a time to be grumpy for you have saved the world" Miriam exclaimed, waving her golden staff in a felicitous manner.

"And I can tell that you've managed to collect all the nexonium from the nether. You have 40 of them in your possession, correct? Quite the dedicated adventurer you turned out to be."

"Yep, all of them, right here!" Pandora unsheathed the heavy backpack from her shoulders and handed it over to the starlit sorcerer. The abrupt difference in weight made her feel like a feather. She better get some muscle after all this heavy lifting 

" I see, I see. Good job finding the fragments, although..." 

"Although?! Although what? Please don't tell me that'll I'll have to go through another death-defying odyssey to find yet another thing!" Pandora practically pleaded, catching herself before falling to her knees. A little excitement in life was fun and all that jazz but the fifteen year old girl had to draw the line somewhere 

"Oh no no no, don't worry " Miriam quickly reassured her " no more of that nonsense. There is just one more fragment of nexonium for you to find" 

"Didn't I get them all? You said that these were all from the chasm."

"Precisely, there is no more of the precious substance inside the nightmare world. The mortal plane is where you'll need to find it." She pointed 

"Eh that's fine, I can take care of that in jiffy. Be right back!" The young girl broke into a run going who knows where before coming to halt. 

"Could... could you tell me-"

"Frozen tundra"

"Right! Thank you so much! See you later" 

Pandora made way for the closest warp totem. The sooner she found the crystal, the sooner she can drop dead on her bed.


	2. Prologue p2: diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching for one thing leads to other... interesting objects getting found

"Now, if I was an extremely valuable piece of rock,where would I hide in this unbearable cold dumpster?" 

She really shouldn't be surprised that she was hitting another annoying roadblock, especially considering that she didn't exactly ask Miriam for the nexonium's whereabouts. Her excitement to finish this fetch mission earlier had overtaken her common logic to simply ask 'hey do you perhaps know where exactly in the frozen tundra that goddamned thing is?'. But nope, none of that.

"I really should stop bolting into problems and situations headfirst" Pandora lamented out-loud to herself. This time her short-fused mind had currently forced her to wander the freezing forests of the hostile tundra for an hour now. 

She eventually entered the relatively small city, plopping down on a old bench, letting out a defeated groan. She needed to adopt a different strategy if she didn't want to develop a nasty case of pneumonia. 

"Okay, okay, lets re-evaluate. I highly doubt that it could grow anywhere near civilization since it would have been mined the moment someone got a whiff of it. Same for the surrounding woods. There is absolutely no chance it could be in the northeastern cave that I found the previous one, no way I could have missed something so excruciatingly shiny... so... where?" 

Pandora leaned back on the bench, shuting her eyes and sighing in exhaustion. Her previous headache came back to torment her tortured soul. She slowly slithered her shaking hands into her small skirt pockets in an attempt to warm them up. She was taken aback, however, when she felt a tiny metallic trinket in the bottom of her left pocket. She fished out the tiny object only to find out that it was a relatively tiny, golden, rusty key.

A key? When did that get here? 

Pandora racked her tired brain for an answer or a hint until it finally hit her. The small object was "gifted" to her by the lackeys that used to follow the previous nexolord. They gave it to her moments prior to her confrontation with omnicron, the item serving as a token of reconciliation. Unfortunately, they claimed that they didn't have the faintest idea about what it could possibly unlock but it had to have some significance if it belonged to their fallen leader.

The young girl jingled the key in her hands for a bit in a futile attempt to concentrate in order to come up with possible places it could fit into. Her previous quest for the nexomite was promptly put on hold as she needed to cater to her insatiable curiosity. 

Maybe a crate or chest? If it was one of those then it will be, if it hasn't already been destroyed by the nexogauard force that was currently scouting the nexolord's tower for any dangerous gadgets. A bunker? Nope, doubt that since there was one located not too far away. HE didn't spend more than necessary. A... house? 

A house

House...

Why did that ring a bell?

Pandora felt like her subconscious was screaming at her. The answer felt so obvious yet obscure. It was right in front of her but placed in the blind spot in between her pleading eyes. Like a dangling piece of fresh meat that her hungry hands couldn't reach. Like the-

"OH MY GOD, I GOT IT!!!" And just like that, her shrill scream of realization cut through the chilling air like a pair of razor sharp scissors. An echo could be heard, repeating back her abrupt howling throughout the whole region. 

It was 5:30pm in the afternoon. Some people were definitely sleeping and she was shouting like an maniac in the middle of the city.

Well, that's embarrassing.

Right, let's get moving please and thank you. 

Where exactly? 

Pandora was currently sprinting towards the northeast side of the tundra (slipping on some ice on the way and almost breaking her hips but let's not talk about that) running through grassy patches and a thick coat of snow to reach the aforementioned cave. But she wasn't specifically going there for the cave.

What was next to it was more important.

Finally, her race to the edge of the civilized part of the mountain. She desperately gasped for breath, her lungs unwilling filling with frosty air, her vulnerable organ tissue "burning" like someone was mercilessly pouring liquid nitrogen over it. Not that she knew how that was supposed to feel like but... you know

Anyway

Pandora was, now, standing in front of a familiar (but not really) residency. At first glance, the building looked painstakingly normal, following the same structure pattern of the the other domiciles around here. A roof that pointed downwards, affective against heavy snowfall, the same left-side sled opening akin to a garage and the identical windows that bathed the insides with light. So what was so special about it?

It was THE house. HIS house... 

Her legs involuntary quivered with fear at the mere thought of that... that cruel charlatan, the very person, or rather, monster that has been a pain in her arse for the better part of the year. The one whose actions almost brought about a new age of suffering, of mass extinction to humanity. 

No,not omnicron

His alleged son, the former nexolord. 

What was his name again? Metta or something?

The bastard had instilled a permanent form of dread in her brain, provoking the same pitiful reaction out of her. He wasn't particularly physically intimidating ,as his chosen human visage was what one would describe as a flamboyant moron, but his piercing heartless blue irises constantly emitted vivid discountenance, looking down on her and her friends like they were nothing but filthy trash. Many a times did she have to run away with her tail between her legs, away from potentially getting harmed by that shameless ruffian. She could put on a brace facade when absolutely necessary but there have been times when she cracked under pressure.

Not that it mattered now, he is thankfully dead. Probably.

Pandora took a hesitant step forward. She firmly grasped the key in her trembling hands, slowly inserting it in the keyhole on the side of the oak door. Despite being caught in the moment not too long ago she wasn't exactly 100% sure that this will actually work. The chances that she was right were pretty slim but she could hope.

Twist

*click*

The old wooden entrance opened with a notable creak. The young girl stood frozen in place not believing that this actually worked. She took a reluctant step into the house, quietly closing the door behind her. A dead silence ruled over the inside, the walls completely nulling any outside ambiance, so much so that she could hear her internal organs swirl and move.The windows were white and foggy, blocking anyone from taking a peek on the interior. It almost felt like a pocket dimension, detached from her own.

Pandora scanned the living room with interest. She could spot a furnace along with some old radices in a decomposing sack in the far back. The floor was littered with mystery residue, dirt and ripped papers. It was painfully obvious that no sigh of life has breached the sacred locus in a long time. Or if they did, they clearly didn't bother.

Welp, time to tear this place upside down and uncover any nasty secrets that the dead asshole had. Normally, rummaging through a deceased man's belongings would break her moral code but this was a delicate (or deliberate) exception. The house was surprisingly big and had both a basement and a second floor. Since nothing of significance could be found on the first story, Pandora examined the entryways of said rooms. She lightly brushed the hard but dusty handle of the upward staircase, carefully observing and evaluating her two options.

The triflingly illuminated top floor?

Or

The ominously eerie, dark and humid basement?

Pandora quickly climbed to stairs that lead to the second floor. From the look of it, it served as a bedroom-office hybrid. A bed was nailed to the right side of the room. Notebooks were scattered on the ground and on the desk, varying in colors, origins and even generations. She gingerly picked up one of them, its grey, decaying cover threatening to evaporate into dust in her hands. This thing was decades if not centuries older than her. Pandora slowly and carefully attempted to open the ancient memorandum and skimmed through its yellow-tinted pages. Strange and unrecognizable symbols covered the senile foils along with some hideous scribbles, some words that she could barely make out. She eventually found a date.

...

This thing was 856 years old, the fu-

Pandora was taken aback. How the hell did this thing survive for so long?! How... how did he manage to preserve it for so long? 

She hastily collected and stacked all the notebooks in one big pile in and around the desk. Her rushed patchwork was not neat by any means but she was definitely revisiting. These records contained a millennia of information (albeit for someone that she frankly despised), she wasn't just gonna leave them. Just... another time. They weren't going anywhere after all.

She hurried down the stairs and half-heartedly made a jump for the basement. Pandora descended down this metaphorical hell-hole and reflexively shrunk into herself. The last thing she wanted was to touch any cobwebs or leaks. Her eyes needed a moment or two to adapt to the dark. She tried to stumble around in the pitch black for a bit but tripped on something.... unexpected 

The last nexonium fragment she needed.

Huh. Dumb luck decided to bless her for a change. 

Apart from that unforeseen gem and an unnaturally enormous bottomless hole on the glebe, there wasn't much else to be explored.

Time to leave, I guess. 

Pandora swiftly packed the any chips and pieces she managed to crack out of the mystical mineral and headed out of the peculiar residency, making sure to lock the door on her way out. She needed to meet up with others for some plan-making. Perhaps she should even share her discovery

Or not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the previous but eh. Is it obvious that I got a bit sloppy towards the end there?
> 
> Pandora feels a bit too strongly about the Metta but she is pretty justified to feel so. The notebooks will certainly serve as a new and weird change of perspective for her, not that her opinion will mend much 
> 
> Speaking of perspective, the next and final part of the prologue (I swear I will get on the story lmao) will follow someone else, someone who isn't doing well with being a sore loser.


	3. Prologue p3: scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dread

Was it even worth it after all?

Heavy rain was pouring down over the still, breathing earth, with such force and mighty that it was actively trying to wash away the sins, the heap of turmoil and corruption that dared trespass its heavenly domain.

He didn't like rain. It left everything intolerably moist, slippy and muddy. Dirty even, dirtier than it was supposed to be. Getting soaked to the bone was its own category of unfortunate experiences.

His sister had made the concept of water a tedious subject

He could count in one hand the times where he had no other choice but to bear for the loathsome impact of the silky, blue liquid 

Well...

Paw actually...

He missed being like this really. He didn't particularly enjoy encasing himself in his loathsome humane form. It was but a cell, a fleshy prison shackling inside his freedom of power, so tasteless and lacking in imagination, in virtue. So unlike the limitless expression that his true figure offered.

Which, at the moment wasn't in the best shape

That's a ridiculous understatement 

His location was unknown even to him, a rugged mountain serving as his shelter, roofed by gargantuan boulder that was his one and only line of defense against the merciless downpour. His lithe, slender, almost malnourished-looking form was huddled up against the corner, as deep as this pseudo-cave would allow him to go. The shiny and smooth dark, grey fur that embraced every inch and crevice of his malleable body was pathetically falling off his limbs. Giant cracks littered his skin, pieces of his very essence dripping out and turning into dust that was being swept by the howling winds.

Looks like his hasty escape had undesirable consequences after all 

What else could he possibly do? His only alternative was bitter end

And yet...

He sulks and wonders if he they would have won if he remained attached for just a little longer. Would they be able reign supreme over the land, the seas, the sky? Immeasurable guilt washed over him, feeding off his feeble sanity like a famine-stricken parasite

This was his second tango with the alluring embrace of death but he refused to give in, stubbornly and desperately clinging to life. The grim, brimstone gates of the chasm would never claim his soul and mind, never. 

But... was there even a point anymore? 

They were lost once again. He worked so hard to bring them back only to lose them to the jaws of battle. His plans were foiled, centuries of careful planing were abruptly thrown off in a burning dumpster. Reconstructing everything from scratch would take an eternity, if only because the face of his human disguise was widely known, hated and feared.

Humans

Bizarre little creatures

Who could of have thought that these freaky, savage simians were so adamant about protecting their disgusting civilization, abhorrent social structure and disgraceful ethos 

Some of them more than others. Vexing roadblocks to the path of prosperity

An age of nexomon

He had the unfortunate chance to meet such individuals many a times in his long-lasting life. Remus and khan immediately came to mind. Pests that aided in their downfall. The fact that both of them were most likely relishing in the afterglow of victory irked him to great extends

Another more prominent presence, one that has greatly affected this whole hellish mess was Ulzar. The man that started it all, that came and tore their schemes, their... family apart one thousand years ago.

The man who almost killed him.

Oh, but not without help of course

The traitor was with there too 

These are but old stinging wounds. It elevated his mood knowing that that blond nuisance was decomposing six-feet underground, his hollow bones and remains getting eaten by maggots and scavengers. Apparently Ulzar was slain by his very own monster "companions" when they mysteriously had gone feral. Ripped to shreds, singed and slashed, by vines or claws, fists or teeth ,it didn't matter, the results was still a bloody pulp

He didn't necessarily believe in karma, or whatever, but that was an oh-so sweet exception

What about the traitor? 

The traitor was thriving, no doubt. Especially after aiding what he now considered to be the biggest, most agonizing thorn on his side. His blood boiled with blazing rage thinking back to everything that transpired in these past couple of months, at the thought of the fussy little minx that ruined everything 

She was the cause of this... this pitiable condition that he was currently in. She claimed his position, his tower, his axiom and poise 

Because he was foolish enough to let her live

Moron, nitwit, you idiotic washout 

He didn't care if outright murdering a child was illegal, he didn't abide by human laws. Sure, her parents were helping him build the resurrection machine and that would certainly muddle their partnership but, goddammit, that one mistake cost him the world 

Cut the wheats before they grow too tall and bothersome 

But no, he had to gloat and flaunt his superiority like a pompous fool instead of doing something actually useful. His bravado was his own undoing yet again.

No point reminiscing the past. He was an insolent goof in his youth, he didn't know any better back then. 

But he should've known better now. Or two months ago to be more precise 

He wasn't sure what to do with himself from this point onward, his trademark optimism and fire completely snuffed out. He didn't have any information about the mainland since he was incapacitated for roughly two weeks, not to mention entirely powerless and unfocused. The situation was hopeless no matter how you looked at it...

Getting assaulted by the storm didn't seem like such a bad idea at the moment 

He tried to weakly stand up on his feet, every muscle in his body crying out in anguish. His fractured front, left leg made it a bit difficult to move but he paid no heed to it. Upon reaching the very edge of the clearing, he tentatively took a sit on the cold, hard, mossy surface, making sure to not accidentally slip and fall. His steely, blue eyes closed shut and his breathing slowed down in attempt to meditate. He rarely if ever indulged the sacrosanct practice due to his constant state of agitation but you know what they say

Better late than never

His claws scraped the rocky ground to stabilize himself in case the wind picked up again. He didn't wish to be disturbed, not even by nature itself 

White luminescent flowers emerged from the slight cracks of the coign beneath ,him linking to his paws. Their healing light bathed him with immense comfort and euphoria, emotions that he desperately craved with every fiber of his being.

These were but temporary fixes. Happiness is conquered via trials and tribulations, sweat and tears. And when others back away in fear of failure he will carry on. 

Numb

He could think up another scheme, another machination. He was a master of deception after all, his cunning unparalleled. 

He just had to wait, lurking in the shadows, for the opportunity to arise

The sun will rise again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have finished the game, caught on to who this is and are confused then let me explain- 
> 
> I had to redesign the ribbon orb because, yes 
> 
> He a ribbon fox-dog now 
> 
> Also, pointing out the super obvious (but just in case) views that are expressed here are not a reflection of mine and will never be


	4. Chapter 1: field-trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girl gang

6 years later. Location: the Nexolord's tower

The newly reconstructed behemoth of a building stood proud and tall, overlooking the entirety of the freezing region, if not the world. The characteristic morning breeze of the tundra cut through the chilly atmosphere like a silent whisper , mellowing out as the sun emerged from the corner of the endless horizon, bathing the otherwise crepuscular land with pure white light.

At one of the top stories of the aforementioned tower lied the owner of the marvelous infrastructure 

Literally lied

Pandora was sleeping peacefully , spread out across the expensive, silk sheets of her king-sized bed. Every single curtain in her luxurious bedroom was closed shut, preventing even a single photon to trespass into her domain. She had practically enclosed herself into a warm, fuzzy cocoon made out of heavy and thick blankets. The nexolady rarely if a ever had a chance to relax, let alone sleep, so she was planning to milk every sweet second she was gifted inside this balmy, comfortable heaven.

"Pannnyyyy, hello !!!" There rung the all too familiar sing-song voice that came and brutally butchered her hopes and dreams of a cozy slumber. The bluette groaned underneath her soft,fabric shield, pulling it over her exposed head in a dire attempt to drive the disruptive menace away. 

It was no use of course

The doors of the bedroom opened with a distinct slam as the bothersome intruder made their way in. Wheels rolled smoothly over the shiny marble floors as the person approached her

" C'mon, wake up grumpy!" Ellie's cheer bounced off of the walls of the lavish chamber,the echo repeating her words like a choir.

"Never. Let me sleep forever." Pandora unenthusiastically murmured, her tired cry barely audible under her layered safeguard. She was gonna nail herself on the bed if she had to, no way she was getting peeled off her heated spot on the mattress 

"Your futile resistance would be met with consequences. It's get up or get jumped on" the mechanics genius jokingly threatened, poking the coverlet lump for emphasis. Under preferable circumstances, the tamer girl would quip back with her own theatrical schematics but her newly awoken brain had no spare room for playful frolicking 

"You wish you could jump you paralyzed dolt" Pandora hissed at her friend, the nasty jab slipping out of her dry lips like poison. 

"Ye-Ouch, that was below the belt" Ellie exclaimed, her tone still dripping with joyful mischief. The remark didn't really affect her but that didn't make it any less insensitive 

"Yeah, no, I'm sorry for calling you that. Crossed a line there." 

"Dude, chill, it's fine. Besides, we've called each other WAAYY worse things. Remember that time at a conference were-"

"DON'T go there! That's a chapter in my life that I want completely erased. That dreadful day still haunts me in my darkest nightmares." despite the ardency of her artificial borrow, pandora physically shuddered at the memory of the embarrassing event. She slowly came out of the blanket fortress since the turn of the conversation shook her out of her sleepy haze entirely 

Like having someone abruptly dump a bucket full of ice on your unsuspecting body

Upon breaking her head free from the pileous weights, Pandora immediately searched for her alarm clock. She rubbed her bleary eyes to take a good look at the time and her neck instantly snapped towards the other woman's direction, strands of her tangled mane flying all over the place 

5:30 AM 

"Ellie, what the FUCK, bro! It's not even seven yet, what did I do for you to torture me like this?!" Pandora practically screamed at her. Her blood-shoot amber irises combined with her wild, uncombed hair made her look like deranged sleaze-ball 

"HoldonHoldon, just hold on, before you kill me hear me out, I have a perfectly viable reason"

"Shoot"

"I have some work business to take care of at the mountain town, in the woods more specifically, something about a flower and whatnot, and thought ' hey, wouldn't it be extremely fun to grab the gals along for a nice, relaxing getaway, maybe they could help around clear the messy paths so my wheelchair doesn't get destroyed'.You know. Have some goofs and laughs along the way..." The green-haired scientist quickly summarized her defense points and chuckled briefly in apprehension. 

Not bad. Really enticing. 

But was it enough? 

"Wait, gals? Who else is tagging along in this little escapade?" 

"Oh, Deena is coming with" She swiftly explained "said she wanted to hang out a bit, it gets pretty lonely guarding the nether all day"

"If Deena is coming then why do you need me? I don't think she'll have a problem cleaning vines out of the path, girl can rip off a tree with her bare hands." 

"Because you are my really nice and generous nexolord friend who will ,with the power bestowed to her by her grant position, allow me access to extra areas and wonderful benefits. Plus the alternative for you would be staying here, signing paperwork and answering tedious phone calls inside this miserable, empty tower." Ellie stressed her three final words to emphasize the sad fate awaiting Pandora if she chose to not cooperate. 

Pandora immediately frowned at the mere mention of paperwork. The pure distaste she held for the tiring act was enough to make her eager to snatch any given opportunity to avoid it

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear your incredibly superficial comment and instead focus at the situation at hand. You bargain quite the tough deal but I will reluctantly accept." Pandora finished her sentence with a fake pretentious look. Even used a sassy, fancy accent to further the gag

"Well, why thank you ma'am, your kindness shall be greatly rewarded" Ellie chimed in with her sarcasm-filled vocables 

Alright, now that natural balance has been restored time to move on. Pandora swinged her slender legs over the bed and equipped her frulf-themed slippers. She stretched her back,hearing the satisfying pop beneath her skin

"Where IS Deena, by the way? Did she come in the tower with you or is she already in the mountains?" Pandora inquired steps away from entering her personal toiletere.

"She is here actually, in the kitchen. She wanted to prepare some quick,easy and fulfilling breakfast and a treat or two to pack up for the road" Ellie quickly responded, already reaching for the bedroom's door-handle. She craned her neck back only to find that Pandora was swinging a white towel over her shoulder. "Gonna freshen up?" 

"God yes! Freshen up and get my hair under control, I look like a-" 

"Zombie?"

"I was going to say crackhead but zombie works too, I guess. I also need to change into proper clothes, unless you want to see me parading out in the wilderness in my pink pajamas."

"Don't you dare, no need to pointlessly traumatize the nexomon like that" Ellie chuckled out and finally exited, leaving Pandora to deal with her basic hygiene. Upon clumsily splashing cold water on her face and stripping off of her night-ware, she slipped into her trademark black attire, crimson red belt, her cream colored boots and ,lastly, the characteristic long and white regal coat, one that signified her status as the nexolord. The specific piece of clothing held its bad share of emotional baggage for her but ,at the end of the day, it is ultimately harmless, no matter the scoundrel that happened to proudly carry it on his shoulders before her 

Not to mention the fact that it is ridiculously beautiful and warm, criminally so...

She gave one last look in the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with a neutral, lifeless expression. The eerily silent staring match with herself had practically become a significant part of her daily schedule 

Remember to smile

Right, better move on before crippling doubt butts its ugly head in

Pandora quietly closed the bedroom doors behind her and descended down the long, carpeted, white hallways. She couldn't help but genuinely admire the grand,wonderfully sculptured statues ,displaying the seven myths in their tremendous nexomon forms, that decorated almost every single floor,including her current pathway. She didn't have the heart to remove and destroy them after she took over, it would be such a waste of masterful artistry. Besides, their existence fit all-too-well with the general meaning that this place represented 

Now, it was also their tomb

Pandora didn't join her friends forthwith but instead took a reroute towards the designated den area she commissioned to be made for her nexomon. Her buddies deserved more that the epitome of opulence after the intense shit all of them had gone through.

She gently opened the massive entrance of the room, careful not to make any sudden noise. Pandora tiptoed her way towards the skunk-like creature that was heavily snoring in the middle. Its tail was curled up like a scarf around the nexomon's formidable form and the fiery, flower-like tip was resting inches away from its pointy face. The tamer airily scratched the top of its massive head, the monster stirring itself awake right away. The fetidoom greeted her with a squeaky growl, what she now refers to as "activation noise", and playfully nudged her hand

"Good morning sunshine" Pandora whispered affectionately " it's early, I know, but I need you to accompany me somewhere just in case anything goes wrong, okay?" 

Because there is no way a day could go by without imminent disaster, that was the status quo 

Her starter nodded obediently, fetching its personal trap. She pressed the bright crystal button that was located on the center of the x-shaped device making the sizable creature standing in front of her disappear, its shining blue essence consumed but the object. Pandora shoved the colorful trap down her spacey coat pocket. About time she joined the others 

The sugary-sweet scent of pancakes became more and more prominent the closer she came to her destination. Inside, Ellie was busying herself with one of her gadgets while Deena was setting up three clean plates, serving a munificent proportion of the baked breakfast treat for each one. Both of them were engaged in deep conversation and thus, they didn't notice her step in 

"Hey deen-deen, long time no see" Pandora called out to the jubilant cook using one of her silly nicknames. Deena immediately stopped dead in her tracks ,for a second or two, before breaking into an uncontrollable smile, her whole being beaming with excitement 

"Ohmygod, Pandora, I missed you so mu-" 

"WATCH OUT, you are still holding a BURNING hot frying pan there " Pandora hastily shouted before her sanguine friend could accidentally sear her skin with cooking oil. Deena immediately caught the memo and let out a flustered giggle.

"My bad heh, I forgot" she grinned, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "Anyway, ya hungry?" 

"YES, give me sustenance or else I'll resort to autophagia" 

Pandora eagerly grabbed the pancake-filled plate and dumbed 3/4 of the bottled maple syrup, three wholes scoops of pure sugar and doused her plain morning coffee with whipped cream 

Ellie glared at her, bewilderment and evident concern written all over her face. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you are trying to go into diabetic comma. You're about to eat and drink undiluted glucopyranoside"

"Look, with the amount of energy I spent daily, I need to somehow put the brain carbs back in" 

"In the most destructive wa-""we are not talking about this fam, drop it" 

...

"Stubborn asshole" Ellie murmured under her breath, her previous worry replaced with mild frustration. "I want to be cheesy and say 'and you love me for it' but we both know I am insufferable lmao" Pandora cheekily responded, licking the remaining cream off her glass as annoyingly as humanly possible. 

"At least you acknowledge it, you flaming trash bag" the scientist uttered and punched her arm in a joshing manner. 

Crisis averted

A comforting silence momentarily overtook the atmosphere, interrupted only by the sounds of running sink water, the clatter of dishes and the occasional cling-clang of a certain modified wheelchair. Pandora stared blankly at nothingness absent-minded until her vision rested on her friend beside her. Ellie's once long emerald green hair had been cut for a couple of years now since it proved to be a great hazard in the lab. Some strands had a noticeable a smoky, grey color, singed from experiments. She hadn't changed all that much surprisingly though her wardrobe consisted of a lot more fire-resistant suits and coats

Deena didn't change much either but, then again, Deena was an ancient nexomon with the ability to shift into a humanoid form, age wasn't gonna affect her. Her figure just looked more mature and womanly to match her mortal friends 

Searching for closure?

Pandora checked her wrist-watch. The small hands of the clock read, clear as day:   
7:05 AM. 

"You know" she finally broke the silence "I don't get why you came to pick me up so early if we are gonna just totem ourselves there" 

"Walk -and anything in between- there, actually" Deena corrected her. Pandora's face immediately switched to puzzlement. "What do you mean walk?" 

"Oi, Ellie you didn't tell her?" Deena redirected her focus to the other woman. Ellie shrugged in return "Eh, it slipped my mind. It's not something that can be avoided anyways" 

"Guys I don't appreciate being left in the dark" the nexolady cut through the tension shared between the other two

"It's not really that big a deal, its um... we kind of... can't? At least we can't use the ones located in the frozen tundra and solus" Deena slowly announced "Let's just say they ran out of disposable spirit juice"

Pandora stood frozen in place momentarily. Her right eye twitched and her hands came to rest and massage her temple 

Truly a cartoonish sigh to behold

"Ahhh, fuck me..." 

"Aannnd there she goes"

"Pack your shit, we are leaving" Pandora hurriedly grabbed a satchel and filled it with necessities, the other two following her example. She sorted through her stuff, water, packed food, access budgies and cards, the bunch until her hand found the signal transmitter, made specifically to send and receive messages from overseers, the nexoguard as well as other business associates. She contemplated whether or not to bring the metallic terror with her but ultimately decided that:

Screw it

They could deal with thiefs, hooligans and stock-market crashes on their own, she didn't have to do crap. This was her cheat day and she was going to enjoy it, thank you very much 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hilda was resting on top of the sturdy, brown branch of Ventra's tree, enjoying a fresh cup of mint tea with her old teacher khan. Their small meet-ups in the jungle had become fairly frequent these past few months, both finding comfort in just sharing troubles and worries

For the living or spiritual world, there wasn't a difference, not for them

...

Today wasn't one of these uneventful reunions 

And the tea wasn't the problem 

"Something is going to happen" The witch declared, setting the porcelain cup down with more force than intended. The greenish liquid spilled everywhere, staining the hard bark of the sacred sapgum.

"You feel it too, I see..." the older overseer calmly replied back, his eyes shut close. 

How could she not

Thick, hot malice penetrated the air mercilessly. She could feel the air being forced out of her lungs, the weight of this mysterious energy was too crushing, asphyxiating even. 

And yet... it was oddly familiar 

"Do you think we should perhaps warn the rest of the force?We may have no idea about the energy's whereabouts but it could become problematic." 

"I believe yes. Inform others, tell them be on lookout for danger. Tell nexolord she too be careful." Khan told her, hitting the bottom of his wooden staff on the wood. Hilda fished out her own signaling device and begun broadcasting the message...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting to the meat of the plot


	5. Chapter 2:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe going to the mountains wasn't the brightest idea

Upon arriving at the small, lively, welcoming town of the greenish,vast mountains (and almost losing a wallet during a short-lived break in Palmaya) the troublesome trio of Pandora, Ellie and the mother hen -or, rather, doe- of the group, Deena, made their merry way towards the quite,wooden shack that the mighty overseer of the place resided in, Remus. Their visit was more or less a safety procedure since they required the formal approval of the regional guardian to carry out a scientific research in the forests. 

And also for the overseer to insure that whoever is planning to wander the wild area is capable enough to not get assaulted by feral nexomon 

Pandora softly knocked on the soggy,old door of the shack and almost immediately heard the response of the individual inside.

"Come in" the gruff, baritone but gentle voice of Remus could be heard, muffled only by the whacking barrier between them. The nexolady entered the spacious room, greeting the older man with a warm smile, him reciprocating it back. His rough wands clumsily swiped aside his papers, spare pens and tools aside in attempt to tidy up his desk. 

Remus hadn't changed all that much though the passing of time wore him down a bit over the years. His once fully blue, proud beard was sporting some grey hairs lately and he had become noticeable less durable but the brick-house of an overseer was still somehow managing to keep up with the rest of the gang. Pandora had a great respect for the man due to the aid he has so generously provided her along with endless wisdom and life advice he offered

She practically regarded him as a father figure and he regarded her as an apprentice and almost-but-not-really adopted daughter 

"Oh, Pandora, how have you been?" He asked, voice full of mirth and familiarity only to furrow his bushy brows in a confused manner seconds later" What, brings you here? I thought..." he scratched his massive beard in thought only to brush away his momentary perplexity "Nevermind, it's nothing. I trust you so no worries" 

Pandora stared at him, bamboozlement written in every inch of her petite face. The remark was sudden and bizarre but she opted to not question him further. If he said it didn't matter then it most likely didn't matter and she trusted his judgement.

Right?

"Just some science business really" Pandora casually answered, leaning against the wall near the messy desk "I'm here on behalf of Ellie to ceremoniously request entry to the forest area in order to legally execute our... 'operation'" she quickly explained their situation, her hands coming up to form the universal sign of quotations on her last word 

Remus' face was stricken with concern once again. He stiffly toyed with the hem of his kumacho-themed hoodie, deep in concentration. Pandora could see the metaphorical gears shifting inside his head, the man weighing his options

What is going on today?

"Who else is with you, if I may ask?" Just you and Ellie?" 

"Deena is here too actually." 

The previously anxiety-ridden overseer visibly relaxed after learning that tidbit of information. He quickly pulled out a blank piece of paper and signed an approval before happily handling it out to the girl. "Good to know!" he exhaled a sign of relief "Have fun but please be careful"

"Cmon Re, chill out, I wasn't born yesterday, you know me" Pandora exclaimed, shoving the delicate receipt in her roomy coat pocket 

"That's precisely why I'm worried, because I know what a trouble-magnet vagabond you are" Remus shoot her a knowing grin while trying not to chuckle

"Excuse me, who gave you the permission to sass me ,old man?" The tamer girl huffed with mock-annoyance, letting out a childish giggle and promptly excited the establishment. The hushed, joyful laughter of her mentor could still be heard from within the impromptu residency 

"Finally, you're done dude. Thought we lost you in the endless void for a hot minute" Ellie called out, slumping into her wheelchair in an aggravated manner

"My sincere apologies, your royal highness, I promise that it will never happen again. No longer shall you wait for simpleton such as I" Pandora quipped back at the impatient young scientist, bowing down akin to a wrongdoer begging for forgiveness. Deena rolled her eyes at their gimmicks just like how a tired parent would at their squabbling crotch spawns. She snapped her fingers to grab the other girls' attention "As much as I would love to see this evolve into a snappy remark wrangle, we should get going. Father knows ,if I let this get out of hand there will be no daylight left for us" she warned, assertiveness slipping into her tone. 

Right!

When that little episode came to a close, the trio directed themselves towards the left side of the mountains, towards the mining cave that lead to Parum, since it was distinctively less affected by the smoke and ash that the neighboring thermal region of ignitia constantly emitted. Beautiful greens, blues and muted browns painted the mesmerizing picture that was the forest this time of year. Playful hobyns fluttered in the air, chirping happily amongst themselves. Their small formation flew through the clear sky, their forms getting lost behind the trees.

Other tiny creatures such as fanfrous and camoleons scurried off, away from them, their natural fear of humans urging them to seek shelter. 

'Relatable' Pandora thought 

Suddenly, a tiny object hit her square on the head before it bounced off and straight down in the grass. Upon further inspection, it was an acorn. Pandora searched for the source of the nut, scratching the newly tender spot on her skull. She heard the teasing giggles of a creature in one of the trees only to find an arnut positively sobbing with laughter at the prank it pulled on her, its fist-like tail hitting the bark of the wood with fervor

"Rude" she muttered under her breath

Nasty normal type 

They have been walking for about half an hour now with no clear destination, sine Ellie hadn't specified what they are supposedly looking for. Only that it was some kind of flower 

"Hey glasses, you gonna tells what we are rummaging the endless wilderness for or are we here for cardio?" 

"Yeah, I was wondering about that but I just presumed you already knew a location and just needed us for help.." Deena piped up as well "or you know... tell us at some point down the road

"Oh" Ellie stopped her wheelchair "I forgot about that detail" she said and fished out a slick tablet out of her satchel. Her nimble fingers searched through the her numerous apps and files

"How do you forget about something like that?!" Pandora asked, exasperated at her friend 

"Once you forgot the keys of your own house, don't go lecturing me about remembers and remember-nots!" Ellie accused, her finger finally resting on one specific file. Pandora eyed her and crossed her hands, whispering a barely audible "Touché"

"So what are we on the lookout for?" Deena said, curiosity evident in her entire posture. She leaned in, her body peeking out from behind Ellie's shoulder, Pandora soon mimicking her action

"It is a flower called Leontopodium nivale, of the family Asteraceae, white in color with yellow orbs hanging out in the middle. Extensive research claims that it can be used in medicine to act as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases! People in ignitia are gonna love this!" 

"Oh, you are talking about the Edelweiss, if I am not mistaken. I think I know where they bloom!" Deena excitedly exclaimed, doing a happy hop "They usually grow up at remote places in high altitudes and around chilly temperatures. They are easy to spot even when surrounded by snow!" 

"I've never heard of this thing in my life" Pandora announced dryly 

"Of course you haven't"

"What did you say?"

"I said, it's pretty rare so it's ok if you haven't heard of it" The green-haired inventor fixed her previous slip-up. She slowly raised the digital device, the photo of the blossom on display. "Pretty" The tamer girl said " Mind sending me its file so I can worry about its inevitable capitalistic pill manufacture later?"

"Alright...?"

Pandora carefully observed the paragraphs of information, briefing through the highlighted parts on her cellular device. Her gaze scanned the mountain peeks, all possible habitats for the healing plant. This would take a while

"Hey Deena, can't you summon the flower so we can be done with this whole thralldom and go for hot dogs instead. Aren't you ,like, an avatar of nature?I've seen you create giant vines, can't you poof that nivale crapshoot into existence?" Pandora redirected her attention to the green-haired woman beside her. 

"I'm afraid that I cant" 

"Why though? That sounds awfully inconvenient and strangely limited"

"That is a question I cant nor know how to answer." 

"Well if we go about it the traditional way, which is to run around and climb stupid rocks all damn day, this will take an eternity. Unless we find a solution to make this twaddle easier" 

The trio stood stiffly, a pregnant silence taking over. Ellie was furiously browsing her documents, trying to come with an idea, Deena following her example,hand on her chin. Pandora shoved her own hands in her pockets and kicked a stray pebble by her foot. 

"Ah, I think I know something that will at least ease the weight off our shoulders" The nexolady declared, her arms flying out of her pockets "We can split up to cover more space. Sure it won't magically solve everything but one of us may get lucky"

Both green-heads pondered the proposal with Ellie being the first one to respond " Your idea is not without merit. We can try but I'll need one of you to accompany me. The nexomon around here might be relatively small and harmless but I'm still facile prey" 

"Don't worry, you probably taste like as-OOFF" Deena elbowed Pandora in the stomach before she could finish her crude sentence. "I'll be with Ellie because I don't trust you two to finish a quest without any casualties." 

Pandora was hunched over, rubbing her poor sore stomach, her intestine suffering from the surprise attack. "Guess I deserved that" 

Her friends nodded in approval 

"So ,uh, I go west, you go east? Does that fancy your liking?" She asked, finally recovering from the aggressive elbowing 

"Yup, that'll do. How about we meet up in town plaza in... four or five hours?" 

"Sure fam"

"Just be careful, you are gonna be alone after all" Deena warned. Pandora groaned at the comment in annoyance. "Don't worry,MOM,I will not mingle with the riffraff, I'm a good girl" Pandora mocked and begun to walk in the opposite direction " See you guys when I find it" she waved back, her figure disappearing inside the thick fauna of the forest

...

"25€ says she accidentally falls in a hole" Deena placed a bet, not even trying to suppress the grin that crept its way into her face 

"50€ says she gets cornered by wild nexomon" Ellie proclaimed swiftly and extended her arm in a handshake 

"Deal"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pandora dug inside her turquoise locks and pulled out a lollipop, popping the sweet treat into her mouth. Her teeth crushed against the semi-hard surface of the candy, the loud cracks filling the uncomfortable silence. Many a times has she complained about how she was constantly surrounded by people, constantly bitching about the fact that she didn't have a second to spare for herself

That statement came to bite her in the bum now, didn't it

The tamer girl was power-walking through a particularly open path of the area that was way less forested in comparison to the much more vibrant eastern side. Big boulders and cave openings garnished the route. Some of them were scraped and curved ,evidently used as sharpers

By a creature with... concerningly large claws

Pandora shuddered, her thick coat completely incapable of sheltering her against the mental chill. Her hand reflexively clutched fetidoom's nexotrap in a dire attempt to grasp a semblance of relief 

Of control

It didn't help that the trail was eerily desert of any life. No rustling of the forest critters, no flapping of wings, even the wind had stopped. It was just her, her steadily increasing heartbeat and her shaky breathing. Where the hell was this bout of panic coming from?! She had explored destinations with higher mortality rates, crumbling volcanoes, underground caves and ravines. She was alone then! Her and ,on the rare occasions, a wireless headset to receive critical advice or orders. 

Maybe it's the feeling of total isolation that's frightening 

Isolation where no help could reach 

Pandora closed her eyes and swiped a tuft of hair off her face in order to calm her nerves. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. Seriously? She got worked up for nothing, this whole thing was silly. Nothing could harm her

Her amber irises opened and she took a deep, precarious inhale. 

There is nothing to be afraid of

Was there? 

She began walking again, now at a more stable pace. 

There is nothing to be afraid for

Out of the corner of her eye, a fickle blue light was shining through the pine woods, just behind some small bushes. It danced around as if it was beckoning her to follow it. Probably just another goofy nexomon trying to prank her

There is nothing to be afraid of 

A frulf or Fanfrou perhaps. These guys are known for the gems that adorned their fur

There is nothing to be afraid of 

It is better to simply not pay attention to their games. If they were aching for a fight so badly then they should seek their playmates. She wasn't cruel but she wasn't beyond letting her fire starter pummel an opponent, no matter the size, into the earth

There is nothing to be afraid of

Eh, would it really hurt to take a peek. Knowing her weird knack of finding objects in odd places there was a high chance of it being a useful trinket. Like a potion or ether

There is positively nothing to be afraid of!

She reached the curious... thing, whatever it was, her hands coming up to grab it. The light elevated itself, away from her grasp, growing as tall, if not taller than the oak trees that it was previously concealing itself with. A looming shadow covered any and all light, emerging from beneath the foliage.

Pandora's body was violently pushed into the hard ground, pinned down with her back facing the dirt. A horrible crack could be heard as one of her ribs was broken on impact by the abrupt force over attacker

...

There was something to be afraid of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now onto the bullshit that you just read-
> 
> Finally SOMETHING happened 
> 
> It's bad, it's good, it is something of happenance, that is not even a word


	6. Chapter 3: brawl

"Careful with the 'merchandise' there! We didn't climb our butts off only to damage the precious loot at the very end" Ellie warningly reprimanded the fellow green-haired woman that was leisurely trotting besides her. Deena was groping the edges and petals of the flower a bit too roughly for the scientist's taste.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing" Deena reassured her, neatly putting the bloom she was currently holding in a safety gelatin bag and placing it gently inside her bag along with the rest of its brethren. They had gotten ridiculously lucky with their quest for the Edelweiss, coming across the snow white plant during their second hike attempt. 

With two hours left to spare, they decided to simply move the specimens in a secure location to ensure they don't wither away or get inconveniently destroyed. After that they'll most likely need to hunt down a certain nexolady who was probably stumbling around in the forest.

Deena was trying to maneuver her friend's wheelchair through the slightly unstable path, cautious enough to not accidentally let the disabled genius fall down. The duo was descending the tourist-friendly mountain trail, back to the village. The specific route was a tad longer than the one the originally came in from but it provided them with a nice opportunity to just admire the natural beauty of the region.

No hurry. No one was chasing them after all...

"Hey... did you hear that?" Deena stopped in her tracks, her sudden pause forcefully shaking the aforementioned wheelchair. Ellie had to firmly hold the handles in order to not just fly off into oblivion. Thankfully her reflexes were good enough to save both herself and her expensive glasses. 

"Christ man, at least tell m-"

"Shhhhh!" Deena pushed her index finger against the other girl's lips to cease her angry rambling. The flowery dame strained her ears to discern the mysterious sound. Ellie followed her example, trying to pick up anything out of the ordinary but her less refined (human) hearing ultimately failed her.

"It's probably some rogue critters D, nothing to concern yourself w-"

Her sentence was rudely interrupted by a piercing, feral clamor which could only be described as a callous, maniacal howl. The otherworldly cry shook the very harmony of the atmosphere, its bizarre energy emitting strong malicious intent...

No... it couldn't be 

Followed by the echo of an all too familiar shrill feminine scream fueled by fear.

NO!

"Ellie get out of here, get Remus as FAST as you humanly can RIGHT NOW!" Deena yelled, shoving her bag at the extremely confused scientist. Her voice was shrouded by a fake sense of calm but her increasing panic was breaking through her facade. She was ready to brake into a frantic sprint, her physical body already changing into her mythical nexomon form, Nara.

"W-wait, what's g-going on?!" Ellie asked scared, clutching the bag in her trembling arms. The physics wiz has never seen the woman so alarmed and downright stressed.

What was the conclusion? 

Hellfire was gonna rain upon them, the apocalypse was coming, imminent death everywhere 

Yeaah, she really should hurry the fuck up

Deena, now as Nara, only caught a glimpse of Ellie scurrying of ,clearly pushing the limits of her poor wheelchair, trying to reach help.

Good

The beastly carvinae run rabidly through the endless woods, her cloven feet practically flying off the ground. She even collided with a tree or two, breaking the unfortunate beams in the process but she couldn't afford weeping about the accidental plant murder. There were way more important matters at hand

It's... it's him

He is alive

But if she didn't make haste

Her friend wouldn't be

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pandora couldn't stop the pained cry that escaped her larynx as she hit the cold,hard ground. Her chest hurt immensely, one of her ribs broken. Alarm bells rung like jet engines inside her startled brain and her fight or flight mode was yelling at her to run, to try and evade the fate that awaited her if she just curled pathetically into a ball. Her vision was unfocused and bleary so she was unable to observe what her attacker was doing.

She could guess who they were though

Him

She started crouching away , her shaking limbs and bruises making the task rather difficult. It wasn't long before sharp teeth sunk into the tender,supple flesh of her calves, the creature in question dragging her body, like a lifeless rag doll, back to them

To him

"Where are you going little thief?" The husky, distorted voice of the monster inquired, hints of irony and vice evident in his cruel tone. She was once again forced into her back, forced to face him. Before her lungs could inhale a single breath, the creature slammed a heavy paw at her midsection,more of her already damaged ribs breaking in the process. One of his razor sharp claws was teasing the edge of her jugular 

She coughed out blood

"After all..." he chuckled darkly. His gaze was fixed at her struggling form beneath him, her black, painted nails weakly digging into his leg in a laughable attempt to push him off or at least ease his grip. 

Pandora could start feeling tears shedding out of her eyes,whether from pain or fear she didn't know. Her amber eyes opened and she immediately was greeted with the murky, wicked face of the tyrant. The kitsune-like nexomon loomed over her, threateningly, his (unnaturally) thin figure more than 3 meters in height 

"You... took EVERYTHING from me!" he growled spitefully at her, his paw pressing her harder into the soil . If looks could kill then Pandora was sure that her mangled corpse would be lodged into the core of the earth.

"But , luck favored me today by delivering this nasty, meddling worm right into my cozy backyard. I don't know much about home decor but I reckon that your beige skin offers a nice contrast to the environment " his hot breath was grazing her face, the heat burning her nerve-endings 

It was suffocating 

This was the end. She was either going to drown in her own blood that was now pooling out of her slackened jaw or this- this petty bastard was going to decapitate her and fling her stupid head away like trash 

He was gonna laugh and gloat about it too, no doubt 

Pandora clenched her wet eyes shut, refusing to give him the satisfaction of relishing in her dread. An ugly ,garbled sound left her throat as she chocked out some more of her blood, staining her clothes,coat and him in the process. Breathing was becoming a challenge 

"I'm disappointed, really I am. Where did your foolish confidence go?" 

No response, she couldn't afford the vital red liquid spilling into her lungs. He knew that she knew that there was not even the slightest chance that she could fight him like this, not when they knew that he was capable of tearing her apart limb from limb. She was trapped and there wasn't a fire exit this time. 

Pandora could feel the malevolent creature above her shift slightly. 

"Let's put you out of your misery" he muttered, his voice turning soft in the most chilling way possible. It wasn't that of pity or grotesque comfort, none of that. This was his sick source of excitement 

Oh, she could imagine the shit-eating grin etched across his snout right now. 

A grin consisting of a bunch of mouth knives ready to repeatedly stab her sorry ass. He finally removed his leg from her injured thorax. 

This was the way she was going to die huh? It was almost... poetic considering the events that transpired between her and him some years ago. Was this karma? 

He probably doesn't even know her name. They had tampered with each other's lives so much yet he never got her name. At this point she couldn't blame him for loathing her.

It was always going to be either her and humanity or them

It didn't even matter now, he was about to pulverize her and leave her carcass to be devoured by maggots. Her face would already be unrecognizable and decayed before the nexoguard finds her cadaver. How will her friends react?

Friends... she hasn't been the best friend to them lately ,has she? Why did they even deal with her bullshit? Alas it was too late to apologize for her appalling behavior. She wasn't a particularly great person. Remus always told her to not be so hard on herself, that she was still young with a full life ahead of her.

Her current predicament begged to differ with that last statement. Since, you know... her ex-enemy was about to snap her like a twig between his teeth. She could hear it, the descend of his (probably) neck ,about to chomp her out of existence. Pandora braced for impact. 

It was coming

Any millisecond now

....

Where-

An abrupt crash could be heard, a shockwave brushing up against her being as she could suddenly feel the presence of the hostile monster lifted off of her. She was momentarily deafened due to the proximity of the... explosion? Pandora cracked a curious eye open only to be met with the remnants of a bright, welcoming green light.

Was she dead? She was dead, wasn't she? 

She tried to observe the area, the mountain forest greeting her in return.

No wait, this wasn't the background of the afterlife netherworld, there were no floating crystals and no star-filled,dark sky. She would know.

She was alive then? 

"-ORA, PANDORA" a soft , lean muzzle poked her sides, searching desperately for a response. She weakly tried to stand up, feeling all her muscles protest against the notion. She tried to balance her weight on her elbows, barely coming eye to eye with the deer-like nexomon.

"De-Deena?" 

"Oh thank Ulzar ,you're still awake!" Nara breathed out, panic polluting her normally serene voice. Her big head hoisted the human girl up, carefully not to pierce her with her thorny, pinkish antlers. Her hoof pat her in the back in a surprisingly gentle manner despite her imposing figure.

"It's ok, we're gonna get-" her soothing whispering was rudely interrupted by an enraged growl. 

Someone didn't appreciate getting the wind knocked out of them and it wasn't Pandora this time...

Nara's whole body tensed immediately. Whether it was because she turned into an appropriate battle stance or due to the identity of the foe, it wasn't clear.

"Well, well, well. I've got to say, sister" he huffed out, spitting the last word like it was filth "your persistence to snatch away my chew toys is growing terribly annoying. This is the second time,no?"Although he was talking in a more collected tone his body language betrayed his disgruntlement." Why, I'm starting to believe you truly dislike me..." 

He was seething, his temperament reaching a dangerous boiling point 

"Stop Metta, enough!" The Avatar of nature shouted, her voice unwavering and assertive. Sibling quarrel. It would be funny if pandora didn't know that their powers combined would decimate everything in a five mile radius. 

Nara sounded tired. Defeated even...

She didn't want to do this, to be here right now

The opposing faux fox sulked back and forth in pure agitation, his blue eyes switching between his alleged sister and the badly beaten simian female she was so adamantly guarding.

Searching for an opening.

Instinctively, the doe summoned two long vines which dragged Pandora a bit further away, propping her against a boulder, her glowing ,golden eyes never leaving the threat in front of her.

He grinned

"You want to stop me so badly?" He beckoned "Come then... Stop me. Let's settle this in the good ol' fashion way. I'll give you the courtesy of going first"

Nara froze.

He was challenging her

To a nexomon battle, one on one 

"Metta... Brother, I-i don't want to fight you. Calm down and listen for once... please!" she pleaded, even though subconsciously she was aware that was beyond reasoning. 

This was a cry for help, he was lost soul

Her request for a truce was quickly shut down, a grimace taking shape on his face. "Your cowardice always finds new ways to disgust me. Fine then, I'll do you the honor" her face lighted up in hope, thinking they avoided the disas-

"Of initiating" 

Before the plant type could register the meaning of his words he dove towards her with lighting fast movements ,his fangs digging into the exposed part of the base of her neck, twisting his head to the sides repeatedly, trying to outright rip her throat out .

"War-zones" were not a place for sentimentalities 

Startled by the sudden strike, Nara instinctively jabbed him back, the sharp,yellowish spikes on her hooves surging with poison. The air made her now exposed wound sting. She glanced at him, the latter inhaling sharply as the part on his upper torso where she scratched him started to turn into a muted shade of purple. Evidently he was afflicted with a status ailment.

He didn't seem all that phased. On the contrary, her offensive defense only seemed to fire him up further. 

"That's more like it!" Metta laughed out "Test round over. I want you to show me the monster you really are behind all your friendly smiles!". His irises became slits, all sanity and sense abandoning the vicinity. 

Unhinged 

Nara braced for impact, silently calculating and analyzing her advantages and disadvantages. She had him beat on physical strength and bulk, plus she could heal herself if need be but, on the other end of the spectrum, Metta was terrifyingly fast but fragile and he had an unfair amount of type advantages with no weaknesses.

Normal type is busted is what she was getting at

She tentatively stepped forward. She had to fight him

Even if it meant that one of them had to die 

He reciprocated her action, his jaws igniting with flames. 

"I will take great pleasure in smiting you"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pandora observed the surreal wrangle with bated (read:struggling) breath. She was plagued with concern for her ally because, if Metta was anything like his father (bootleg omnicron basically), then he would tax the hell out of any fire or wind attack in his arsenal. This will end ugly

If she was actually awake to witness the climax, that is

Pandora was valiantly trying not to fade into unconsciousness, clutching her aching sides. She couldn't afford the chance of fainting since there was an extremely high chance of it being her final and eternal slumber. 

Not really in the mood to see Ziegler again, no way, no how. Especially now that her friend came to her aid

If she doesn't get incinerated by her little brother first...

An alarm shook Pandora out of her thoughts, feeling her watch vibrate on her left wrist. She slowly unsheathed her arm from her chest to inspect the gadget. It was a message from overseer Remus claiming he was rushing to her location in order to help. Apparently Ellie had warned him that she was in danger.

It was a miracle that he could even pick up her signal from so far up. The scientist wasn't lying when she proclaimed that this handy little time ticker was great. It's got a messaging system, personalized schedule, remote control, bug repellant, nexomon tranquilizer-

Hold up-

Her amber spheres shot wide open at the memory of the drug dart. The peculiar weapon was made per her request and it was later installed on the watches of the rest of the overseers. She didn't pay much heed to it when she first mentioned it but it proved to be quite the asset since it is a one hit K.O tool.

It could work here as well considering what it is made of

If only her vision wasn't bleary as all hell at the moment. One wrong move and she could hit Nara by accident which would amount to both of them getting massacred. 

It was worth a shot 

...

That was a good pun, I'm not sorry

*crash* 

Pandora snapped her head to the sound of the disturbance. Metta had body-slammed her friend against one of the oak trees, the latter momentarily incapacitated with burn marks scorching her green fur. It would be too late till she gets back on her feet. 

Now or never

Her hand skimmed through the settings of the device choosing the one designated for the specific mechanism. One small hole opened from the front of the watch allowing the small bullet sized projectile to fly out. Now for the aim...

Oof, that's a whole other story. The blood steadily leaving her body was making this difficult 

And goddamn it, why did he have to be so fucking skinny!? There is literally no surface area where she could affectively hit! 

Here goes nothing

With the press of a button, the minuscule missile fired, entirely noiseless. It barely hit its mark at the very edge of his thigh.

Whatever armageddon he was planning to unleash on Nara was prevented by the surprising force that got nailed on his backside. The mystery item pinched his flesh, sending tiny jolts through his nerves 

And then it activated

An electrifying shock, akin to that of an EMP, washed over him in continuous waves. Metta could feel his strength evaporating out of his from his pores, the sensation nauseating. 

He collapsed, blacking out. A blue aura surrounded him for a second before unveiling his human form. Pandora inspected the dirty white mop of hair that replaced the mane of the megatherium. The smart thing would be to finish him off now.

Like they did with the rest of them

Or to leave the poison take care of him. His body in its powerless state could not resist the toxin, the purple spreading to his neck and soon it could reach his brain. It will be quick and painless 

This doesn't feel right anymore. 

But he deserved it. For all the transgressions he committed against not just her but the whole world. 

This destructive mindset instilled in his mind by that blue dog bastard

This is stupid, just end it please

But he had so much potential to be changed and converted. Reformed if you might 

Yeah, propose that to him and see how he will break your fingers in half! 

Queen's gamble it is...

Nara ,who have changed back into her humane disguise, was approaching her, making a a real effort not to glance at her wiped out sibling. Deena looked worse for wear, her collarbone specifically, but she jogged back to her looking like her skin wasn't literally about to fall down. Pandora could use some of that incredible resilience her kin acquired.

Like now for example where she was about to pass out

"Pandora" Deena rocked her shoulders "Remus is going to be here any minute now a-and we are getting you out of here. We-we'll deal with... the problem" 

"N-no wait! De-Deena listen... d-don't... don't!" Pandora said, grasping the other dame's jacket, bringing her closer to her face

CAECE. This is insane!

"T-take h... him with-with us"

The last thing she saw was Deena's face paling in surprised horror before her vision faded to black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut myself on the edginess of this fucking chapter. I am not sure if I am completely satisfied with the end since it feels a tad unnatural but whatever . This is the first I've written "action" so I hope it wasn't too jarring to read through


	7. Chapter 4: scuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of dailogue that may or may not contain a fight

"...she...b...okay..."

"...will...like...believe...s-"

"Hush...I think she moved..." 

A ghostly, cool hand slithered it's way to her temple making every single hair on her rigid body stand on end 

"AHHH, WHO THE FU-" Pandora screamed ,jolting awake, her hands forcefully swatting at the alien object and flinching away in fright. Her decision was followed by immediate regret, her chest stinging in immense pain. 

A distressed "ugh" was the only sound that escaped her chapped, dehydrated lips.

"Welcome back" greeted the motherly voice and wrinkle-ridden face of... the old doctor lady from the khan woods? 

"Who- wha?where?" 

"Hush now dear, you are in a safe place" the wise, older woman reassured her frazzled nerves. She grabbed a small wet cloth from nearby, her gaze meeting with Pandora's, clearly asking for consent to approach the wary nexolady. When she received the affirmative, she came closer, sitting at the middle of the bed. She airily wiped away the beads of sweat that formed on Pandora's head, the cool surface of the fabric feeling like a heavenly remedy on her hot skin. 

Much better

"Yes, I do believe that she is healing tremendously. Your treatment patched her up fairly good, miss Deena" 

Deena?

"I- thank you" the person in question croaked out, her current condition not any better than the bedridden girl. Pandora cringed at the sight of the visible hole marks on Deena's collarbone. Right next to her was the nexolady's star fetidoom ,who looked like it was barely constricting itself from tackling its owner in a bear hug, and, of course, her best friend, Ellie.

Who's eyes looked red and her face newly stained. Has she been crying?

The medic requested for her attention again, slightly probing her tender sides. Pandora let out a low hiss of pain at the abrupt contact. 

"Now tell me, does it hurt when you stand up?" She asked, not taking her eyes from the tamer's midsection

"Not particularly. It's like a dull ache, really." Pandora shrugged "it does hurt when I'm trying to move too quickly though." 

"That is understandable. All you need is proper rest and no sudden movements here and there ,lassie" she said, slowly packing up her items along with the small, heavenly cloth.

Easy for you to say, lady. You don't have a bunch of officials hounding your ass

"Don't forget to regularly change the bandages around your sides. Your pals can show you how to do so without injuring yourself further. May the spirits aid in your healing" 

"You too- I mean, thanks" 

A tense silence fell upon the room, so much so that you could hear a pin drop. The four inhabitants were motionless and the air was so heavy with a hint of melancholy.

Then the gloomy bubble popped 

First, it was her starter rushing to her location from the other side of the room. The fire-type skunk monster linked its bigger, furry hands with her much smaller, delicate fingers, its fuzzy head leaning towards her forehead. Pandora squeezed its paws in a comforting manner in order to calm the creature.

"Hey buddy" she said, softly scratching the worried nexomon's chin "it's ok, I'm here now..." 

"Poor guy's trap fell out of your pocket when you were...ambushed" Ellie informed her "he could sense the commotion but was powerless to do anything" she said, sadly looking at the starter "We almost left him behind" Deena finished the other woman's sentence, handing the aforementioned nexotrap back to its rightful owner. Pandora took the high-tech object and kindly asked the fetidoom to return in it, promising that they'll spend plenty of time later. Sure, it was a bit insensitive to request this from her clearly bereaved companion, now of all times, but she had some other certain green-haired confidants to talk with.

Now it was just them. Two and a half girls

"So, uh...how... how bad was I... when you brought me in?"

"Eight out of your 24 ribs where broken, one almost puncturing your left lung. Four of them were cracked but salvageable nonetheless. You lost a dangerous amount of blood on your way here and, coupling that with some light eternal bleeding, it's almost a miracle that you are still alive." Ellie answered without a beat, her gaze hyper-focused on her childhood best friend. Her voice and posture were stoic, almost robotic but her eyes betrayed her grief 

"Aha... I don't really feel like any these...happened? Other than being sore as all hell and my sides bothering me I am... fine?" Pandora stated, slightly confused at what transpired while she was wiped out. "What happened?" 

"Miss life whisperer here used her magic shtick to fix you up" Ellie explained, pointing towards Deena

Who didn't look like she was paying any attention... she looked awfully out of it.

Something was clearly troubling her

Pandora could make a pretty solid guess about the specifics of it

"Y-you are lucky t-that she even found y-you when she did. We... we thought y-you were a g-goner" The green-haired scientist spoke again, her voice wobbly and more high pitched. Her cerulean blue spheres welled up with tears anew although she was holding them back.

"Dude it's fine, I'm fine! It isn't even the first I almost died! Hell, not even the fifth! I'm surprised you haven't gotten used to me almost getting myself killed yet " Pandora said, awkwardly trying to light up the mood a bit.

"These circumstances were different and you know it Pandora!" Ellie yelled back at her, leaning at the edge of her wheelchair 

She was right

"And you are like my sister, stupid, of course I would be devastated if you... if you bit the dust!" She continued, wiping away the crystalline drops of water that were rolling down her face, her tone a mixture of frustration and somberness. Her breathing visibly quickened and Pandora could swear that the girl was an inch away from hyperventilating. The nexolady observed her with wide eyes before she redirected her attention back to her ,now, ungloved hands. In shame or in guilt?

Both

"I'm... I'm sorry" 

Ellie looked at her, confused at her brusque apology. "F-for what?"

"Too many things to count but I'll use my ghastly attempt at being funny in any way a minute ago as an excuse. So... I'm sorry" 

...

"Hug?"

"Come here moron"

Pandora carefully stood up from the wide piece of furniture and approached her, bending over halfway to meet Ellie's level. The other girl pulled her forcefully, ensnaring the tamer in a tight, almost desperate hug, her hands submerging inside Pandora's thick mane of bluish hair. The latter felt her sides sting by the strong hold but she didn't care. 

Not now, not ever

A beeping noise broke both of them out of the momentary emotional stupor, the sound emerging from the scientist's satchel. Ellie broke the hug slowly and fished out the loud gadget from the inside of the brown bag. Her facial features quickly adopted a look of pure disgruntlement. She swiftly typed some unknown gibberish on the device before looking up back at Pandora

"Damn it" she muttered under her breath "I am afraid that I have to leave. Doctor Margo said they need me back to base. Something about leaks and junk, gotta give the flowers too." Ellie said, clearly saddened by the fact that she'd have to leave so soon "But hey, that gives you a nice opportunity to rest in the meantime!" 

"Actually I was thinking about signi-" 

"REST YOU FILTHY IGNORAMUS!" 

"Sir, yes sir!" Pandora quipped back at Ellie's outburst, making both of them giggle. Ellie then proceeded to go for the door, ready to to depart from the place

"No really, rest please. I'm gonna send Atlas to look after you to make sure your ass is glued on that bed, you hear?" 

"Yes mom sis, I'll be very mindful of my wellbeing. Wouldn't like to be a victim of your wrath" Pandora teasingly called out to the retreating woman, the latter biding her a semi jokingly aggressive farewell

Once Ellie's form was completely out of sight, Pandora side glanced the only other person in the room 

Deena

Said lass was just leaning against the wall looking awfully small and stressed. She was biting her nails, a habit that she only indulged in when something was savagely eating at her from the inside out. Pandora had come to realize over the years that the nexomon currently disguised as a human was tough as all hell and especially collected in the face of danger

But her family was a whole different can of worms 

Pandora quietly put on one of the spare black, t-shirts from the closet in the room. This section of the tower functioned, more or less, as an infirmary so she always made sure to stock up some basic supplies along with warm clothing and hospital gowns. The fabric artifact she picked up hugged her upper-torso nicely allowing the bandages encasing her thorax to stay on tighter 

Time to to talk about the elephant in the room 

Pandora approached Deena, casually strolling next to her, crossing her arms in an aloof manner. The green-head didn't immediately seem to notice her presence, lost in her own thoughts. Pandora snapped her fingers in front of Deena's face to shake her out of it.

"Huh? Oh, um... hey... Pan" Deena weakly greeted her, her hands leaving her face somewhat, now resting close to her chest and hiding her fresh scars. She made an attempt to appear partially content but it was painfully obvious just how MALcontent she was.

"You ok there? Those don't seem all that pleasant" Pandora asked, pointing towards Deena's collarbone. Upon further inspection the bite wounds weren't just surface level but skin deep.

That alone wasn't all that concerning, what was concerning was the fact that she could pick up that detail even when the damage was partially healed.

Pandora shuddered.

"Oh that? Don't worry about it, I've been through worse really. This is nothing." Deena brushed her off like it wasn't all that big a deal. Worst part was that it was totally believable 

"If you say so" 

...

"So, how long till Remus reached the... 'scene of the crime'?" 

Once that question dropped the air was automatically filled with some tension

"Not... not long after you passed out. I am actually surprised by how incredibly fast overseer Remus is, even at his age. I... I have a new respect for him" Deena said, avoiding eye contact. 

"Yeah, Remus sure is great..." Pandora commented, looking at her black nails, picking off some dust at the rims. "How did you guys get me here anyway?"

"Remus carried you to the nearest warp totem. We first made a stop by Khan jungle to apply emergency care on your injuries and of course ask Khan himself if he could re-activate the totem in the tundra. You pretty much know anything that followed"

Oh do I now?

"Right... and I was the... only one you carried back here?" Pandora inquired, her half-lidded gaze piercing the already cornered woman in front of her. 

"I- you- I don't understand what you're talking about" 

You were never all that good with lying

"Look man, I'm not dumb... ok, maybe I am but I am certainly not so dumb that I wouldn't discern how terribly tense you are and not only that but I'm definitely sure we're both on the same page when I say I know how hard this... 'situation' is" 

No response

"And you didn't just do it because I deliriously asked you to, now is it?" 

That grabbed her attention

"W-what?! Of course I-i did it because... because you asked me to! Why else would I do s-something so... so dangerous" Deena declared, faking outrage. Her hands balled into fists although it was fairly obvious that they had no emotional power behind them

"Deena look" Pandora started, her arm coming to rest at the shoulder of the defensive damsel. The latter visibly relaxed a tad after seeing no hostility or anger evident in her body language "Fighting him was one thing. Outright killing him is another and I know that you... you don't have the heart to directly murder your brother no matter the bad blood between the two of you"

"Thanks. I think I needed that" Deena responded, a smile emerging on her previously sullen face

"Heh besides, what else could you possibly do with him, hmm? ''Tis not like you can re-release a homicidal terrorist back into the wild." Pandora said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her floral friend chuckled in return and softly slapped her hand away from her

"Tsk, shut up" 

...

"Speaking of said homicidal terrorist is he, you know, awake?" 

"Yes ... for some hours now but he wasn't really... aware of his surroundings. Let's just say that you are not the only one who almost perished..." 

Deena brushed her bangs away from her face, a scorched smell still lingering in between the strands. Opprobrium practically emitted from her entire being. She promptly crossed her arms, her gaze lingering on the bed Pandora was unconscious on 

"He is more or less active now. The medic attended to him first while he was fully alert but he was cooperative and now he is inside the room across the corridor." She stated as matter of factly "I am not sure what he's doing"

"Good to know" said the nexolady before she too made her way to the exit. Deena frantically grabbed her arm as she was an inch away from the door handle 

"Hold on, you aren't actually going to him are you?! You are the very last person he wants to see, hell even Ulzar would be more tolerable" 

Pandora starred at her flabbergasted, almost offended by her accusation 

"What? Of course not! I'm not an idiot with a death wish ,man! I was gonna go for a glass of water since my mouth currently is on par with the dryness of solus desert" 

With that she pulled her hand free of Deena's grasp, the latter sighing in relief. Pandora unlocked the silver, metal entrance 

"By the way"' The flower maiden's voice halted her stride once again "What possessed you to plead me to bring him here?" 

"I have an idea that might just be crazy enough to work" 

That was all she needed to say 

\--------------------

Pandora took long and fast steps back to her assigned medical room holding a large beaker of iodine, small cotton wipes and a huge bottle of water as to not be obligated to run back and forth between rooms. It had taken her about 20 minutes to snatch some stuff and run which made her upper torso start aching anew. Power walking was gonna be it for now

Don't stop moving 

Pandora was slowly re-approaching the section of the tower. The course wasn't all that long, only three medium sized rooms on each side. The walls were a baby blue color, these being the odd ones out of the rest white and blue pattern that the building religiously followed. The lighter pigment radiated a sense of serenity

Whatever you are thinking, don't 

True peace as they called. It almost didn't make her intrusive thought process seem as foolish as it was. The second and only other inhabited bedroom was in close proximity now

You can't be for real

It will be just a quick peek! She couldn't stand the weight of her morbid curiosity nagging the imaginary dam of her mind. She was not planning on being noisy, she had given both Deena and herself that promise. 

Tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night

Pandora carefully set the objects she was carrying aside and quietly approached the barrier separating her and the offender. Her fingers rested at the frigid knob. Take a deep breath and push.

The door didn't make a single creak, the opening barely wide enough for her eyes to scan the area but it didn't take long for her to spot him.

He did stick out like a sore thumb...

Metta was not facing the door, his posture instead was facing the only window in the square chamber. His chin was atop his palms (or at least that's what it looked like from her angle) and he was intently staring at the outside world. 

You've seen enough, are you satisfied?

Yes, it was not all that big a deal after al-

"If you are here to comfort me, save it. I don't want your pity"

Pandora shuddered at the suddenness of the vocal proclamation hitting her unsuspecting ears, her hand gripping the steely handle for dear life. In retrospect this wasn't exactly a bright idea but she didn't exactly bother him either. This is not a suitable time for confrontation so it would be wise to cut the spark before it explodes into a huge fucking problem 

"Apologies, I didn't wish to disturb you" she replied curtly, her tone neutral and distant. 

His laugh echoed and bounced off of the walls, a response of defiance. Pandora couldn't tell if it was a broken laugh but it did come from a broken man

"I believe that you are a little over six years too late for that" 

He attempted to turn but his movements were sluggish and betrayed a sense of frailty that he desperately felt the need to hide. She could tell. It was all the dignity he had left. 

Metta had seen better days. He looked famished, his leftover lean muscle barely helping him appear natural. The paleness of his skin rivaled the snow white of his now dirty shoulder length-hair. His hands-

Oh dear god, his hands... 

Blackish fur encased both his wrists, deadly claws poking from each digit. Ribbon like tails were pathetically pooling all over the hard, marble floors, each representing a different coloration and element.

Their owner was definitely not all that pleased with his predicament, not all that pleased with her presence so soon after the "event" 

"So it is." She murmured out in hopes that he would just drop it here for the sake of both their sanities. The last thing she wanted to be a part of was a screaming match 

Just close the damn door!

"What abominable concoction did you inject me with?" Metta hissed out, hanging onto the bed railing so he wouldn't slump down. It was unclear if he was tardy due to the affects of the tranquilizer or because he was starved and worn down. Pandora's answer was to shake her watch, a small item falling from one of the holes. She tossed the minuscule missile at the ex-villain, him almost missing it by an inch. 

Now in his palms, he studied the assailing driftage with scrutiny. He brought it closer to his nose, inhaling its perplexing scent. Then he frowned 

"Nexonium fragments mixed with potent nexocore essence, huh? You sure do have a knack to misrepresent and ruin everything for it to abide by your ideals." He mocked, examining the crystalline segment of the bullet. The light that emerged from the window to his left reflected off of the glassy surface revealing multiples shades 

Pandora had to contain herself as to not just spit a 'and you sure do love hearing yourself talk, asshole' but that would not work positively to her favor. 

Don't antagonize him just let him get the shit out of his system and leave

"I'm surprised you didn't just kill me." 

His eyes scaled her form up and down, those chilling blue eyes picking apart each and every one of her inadequacies. It was like an invisible, detesting force weighing down her back with the sole purpose of making her uncomfortable 

And aggravated 

Don't 

"After all, we both know how good you've become with that" 

Did he just-

Was this heinous sandpaper clusterfucker for real?! 

"Wha- excuse YOU sir" the door opened allowing entrance to the provoked "chimera" lady. He had just kicked a hornets nest with his smart little comment 

"but you have no right to lecture ME about murder!" 

A weak smirk formed on his visage but he cowered at the outburst nonetheless. Metta swallowed, his current powerless state a definite con but he wasn't one to back down from a fight, verbal or physical 

Not to her

"Did I step on your precious honor, fair maiden?" He was practically handled up in the corner "I suggest cool down,no? Your blemish is slipping out"

"MY blemish, huh? If you are so keen on discussing flaws then how about we focus on yours, hmm?"

"Flaws? Adorable that you think you have any idea-" 

"Your endless arrogance maybe? Your bizarre little superiority complex? How about your broken ego, if there is any left"

"You have a lot of nerve to-"

"Nice temper you got there too! Too bad you have no backbone to utilize it"

"How dare y-" 

"So I SUGGEST you reevaluate your choices, no? Every option, every ACTION that you ever made has only lead to FAILURE!"

"shut up, shut up, SHUT.UP!" Metta's desperate roar stopped her merciless spiel, the former resembling a trapped feral animal. Pandora stepped back a few feet but her stance remained unwavering 

"Don't... don't say that word. Never" 

"Too much salt on your wounds?" 

"GET OUT!" He screamed at her, his still slowcoach arms sloppily throwing the rhombus, placating bullet he was holding onto the floor. The item shattered, the liquified essence wetting the marble and the pieces of glass scattered all over the square apartment.

Pandora fled the scene soon after that, slamming the poor door. She completely disregarded the things she carried on her way here, the iodine and bandages remaining forgotten. Now just to find a spare thick coat, hoping that the soundproof walls were enough to prevent Deena from hearing any of this. Pandora couldn't stay here right now

Anywhere but here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaks for itself really, idk

**Author's Note:**

> And cut! Prologue part one is done with. Hope you enjoyed and feel free to ask if there is a word or phrase you don't understand. My first language is not English so apologies if there are mistakes. This is also my first proper fanfic so I would love any feedback, be it positive or negative. 
> 
> Team used:   
> \- Fetidoom (starter  
> \- Kumacho  
> \- Arcticvore  
> \- Voltosfere  
> \- Torex   
> \- Jeeta/monilix (changed between the two)


End file.
